Leadership requires public speaking. And that speaking must be effective and successful. There is a lot riding on this success: money, jobs, livelihood, opportunity, governmental policy, or public safety. Words help shape our reality. Words are a lasting legacy. Don’t under-estimate the power of the right words spoken at the right time…or the damage of the wrong words. A speech must be more than self-expression or information; it must make a positive difference. But fear holds some people back. There is a well-known survey that found the number one fear for adults is public speaking. Speech anxiety can be overcome. But, like most things in life, it takes understanding and effort. In my book, I look at the problem of speech anxiety and a number of other issues, such as how to gain the attention of an audience, how to construct a persuasive speech that unites an audience, how to give a speech that will be remembered, how to improve delivery, how to remain ethical, and how to create your own distinctive, unique rhetorical persona. Words are action. A speech can change the world. This is a book for people who really want to get better. It is a book about speeches that make a difference.